{4.5/5} “Marie Claire thought he spent too much time on his smartphone (and not enough listening to her fret about Maeve), Kathleen thought he was too rich and good-looking to still be single and therefore had to be hiding something, and even Maeve, who usually sided with Briddey in family debates, had made a face and said, ‘His hair’s too combed. I like guys with messy hair.'”

Crosstalk by Connie Willis, published in 2016

Briddey and her boyfriend Trent are getting an EED, which will allow them to feel each other’s emotions. But while she’s at the hospital Briddey starts unexpectedly communicating telepathically with CB, a colleague at work. Meanwhile, her company needs to come up with something new to compete with Apple’s new phone.

This story has the subtle humour you expect from Willis’s books. It’s about unintended consequences.